Roberto Firmino has revealed his feelings about the ‘Covid title’ within the Liverpool camp. It brings back bittersweet memories for me as a fan.
It was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life. For many others, the wait had been even longer — Liverpool’s title drought had lasted eight years beyond my time on this planet.
In a nutshell, it was the coronation that this particular Liverpool team so richly deserved. Over the years, players such as Steven Gerrard and Luis Suárez came close to leading the Reds to the Premier League title, but the team assembled by Jürgen Klopp was undeniably the best of the modern era.
The attacking triumvirate that will forever epitomize this specific moment in time: Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané, each at their individual peak and working seamlessly together. After winning the Champions League the season before, the Premier League didn’t just seem like a possibility — it seemed like a right.
As the campaign progressed, it quickly devolved into a procession. According to Firmino in an excerpt from his new book (via the Mail), the team felt invincible:
“After 26 wins in 27 games, it was clear that the title was only a matter of time, and the goal had already shifted: now we wanted to go undefeated in the league.” We talked about it amongst ourselves, and why not? After all, it was win after win every week, and the finish line was getting closer with no sign of slowing down.”
What happened next appeared to be a disaster. Within the space of a few weeks, the club suffered an inexplicable 3-0 loss to Watford, followed by a Champions League exit at the hands of Atlético Madrid.
But then a true disaster struck. Liverpool didn’t realize it at the time, but the defeat to Atlético Madrid at Anfield was the club’s last game in front of fans for several months, as the Coronavirus pandemic took hold.
I felt bad for caring about football as a Liverpool fan. Even though people were dying, talk of canceling the league worried me more than I cared to admit.
There was much relief when the league resumed. But it wasn’t football as we knew it; with no fans allowed, the sport’s soul was ripped out.
Others, without a doubt, had it much more difficult. My routine didn’t change all that much because I’m not one of the lucky ones who gets to go to Anfield every other weekend. Even from a distance, through a television screen, it was clear that something fundamental was missing.
“The pandemic took away the Liverpool fans’ chance to support us, share with us the moment they had waited for even longer than us; to release a cheer that had been trapped in their throats for 30 years,” Firmino said succinctly. That made me so sad! They were sorely missed!”
He goes on to say that the experience was not unpleasant. But it was difficult not to feel a pang of disappointment when the trophy was hoisted aloft. This was not supposed to happen.
My plans to visit the city for the Champions League celebrations the previous year had been dashed by university final exams. I vowed to be there for the next one, and after such a long wait, the Premier League would have been even more meaningful.
Again, my story is not the most tragic — not in the context of a deadly pandemic, nor even in the far more limited realm of Liverpool fans. It’s simply the reality of how things felt for one person.
Of course, it was thrilling to see Liverpool finally win the Premier League. It’s not like I was completely depleted. Even though this was the one title that had proven so elusive, the euphoria was nothing like the thrill of the previous year’s European triumph.
Being a fan is never a ‘complete’ experience. But this time — the first time — was supposed to be the pinnacle of a lifetime of help.
In some ways, it’s impossible to get that back. But there is one obvious solution that will get us close: Liverpool needs to win the Premier League again.
There have been memorable moments since 2019/20, with Liverpool able to properly celebrate a domestic double with fans only two seasons later. That was especially special because many of the same people were still present.
It hurts that any league title will now be won without the likes of Firmino and Mané, who will be forever denied that moment. But Klopp can at least provide a cathartic release for the fans.
Rarely has a manager so completely understood the everyday fan, so the weight of this task will undoubtedly weigh on Klopp. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he renewed his contract with Liverpool.
Nobody will hold it against him if he fails. The fact that the drought exists at all demonstrates how difficult it is to win the Premier League, and this was mostly before Manchester City rose to prominence.
But the undeniable reality is that the pandemic title was a little hollow, and only one thing could make it right. Many of the key players may have left since then, but I sincerely hope that Klopp will get the moment with fans that he — and the team — deserve it — were duped.
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